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May 22
Events * 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. * 1176 - Murder attempt by the Hashshashin (Assassins) on Saladin near Aleppo. * 1377 - Pope Gregory XI issues five papal bulls to denounce the doctrines of English theologian John Wycliffe. * 1455 - Wars of the Roses: At the First Battle of St Albans, Richard, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England. * 1762 - Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg. * 1807 - A grand jury indicts former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr on a charge of treason. * 1809 - Second and last Day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna), Napoleon was repelled by an enemy army for the first time. * 1819 - The [[Wikipedia:SS Savannah|SS Savannah]] leaves port at Savannah, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The ship arrived at Liverpool on June 20. * 1840 - The transporting of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished. * 1842 - Farmers Lester Howe and Henry Wetsel discover Howe Caverns, when they stumble upon a large gaping hole in the ground. * 1843 - Thousands of people and their cattle headed west via wagon train from Independence to what would later become the Oregon Territory. It was part of the Great Migration. They followed what is now known as the Oregon Trail. * 1844 - Persian Prophet The Báb announces His revelation, founding Bábism. He announced to the world of the coming of "He whom God shall make manifest." He is considered the forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. * 1848 The abolition of slavery in Martinque * 1856 - Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beats Senator Charles Sumner with a cane in the hall of the United States Senate for a speech Sumner had made attacking Southerners who sympathized with the pro-slavery violence in Kansas ("Bleeding Kansas"). * 1872 - Reconstruction: U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act of 1872 into law restoring full civil rights to all but about 500 Confederate sympathizers. * 1906 - The 1906 Summer Olympics, not now recognized as part of the official Olympic Games, opens in Athens. * 1906 - Wright brothers are granted U.S. patent number 821,393 for their "Flying-Machine". * 1915 - Lassen Peak erupts with a powerful force, and is the only mountain to erupt other than Mount St. Helens in the continental US during the 20th century. * 1915 - Five trains collide in the Quintinshill rail crash near Gretna Green, Scotland, killing 227 people and injuring 246; the accident is found to be the result of non-standard operating practices during a shift change at a busy junction. * 1933 - Emilian Dobrescu was born on this day in Romania * 1936 - Aer Lingus (Aer Loingeas) is founded by the Irish government as the national airline of the Republic of Ireland. * 1939 - World War II: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel. * 1942 - Mexico enters World War II on the side of the Allies. * 1942 - The Steel Workers Organizing Committee disbands, and a new trade union, the United Steelworkers, is formed. * 1942 - World War II: Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox enlists in the United States Marine Corps as a flight instructor. * 1947 - Cold War: In an effort to fight the spread of Communism, U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs an act into law that will later be called the Truman Doctrine. The act grants $400 million in military and economic aid to Turkey and Greece. * 1960 - An earthquake measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale, now known as the Great Chilean Earthquake, hits southern Chile. It is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. * 1962 - Continental Airlines Flight 11 crashes after bombs explode. * 1963 - Assassination attempt of Greek left-wing politician Gregoris Lambrakis, who will die five days afterwards. * 1964 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson announces the goals of his Great Society social reforms to bring an "end to poverty and racial injustice" in America. * 1967 - The L'Innovation department store in the centre of Brussels, Belgium, burns down. It is the most devastating fire in Belgian history, which results in 323 dead and missing and 150 injured. * 1968 - The nuclear-powered submarine the [[Wikipedia:USS Scorpion (SSN-589)|USS Scorpion]] sinks with 99 men aboard 400 miles southwest of the Azores. * 1969 - Apollo 10's lunar module flies within 8.4 nautical miles (16 km) of the moon's surface. * 1972 - Ceylon adopts a new constitution thus becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations. * 1990 - North and South Yemen are unified to create the Republic of Yemen. * 1990 - The Windows 3.0 operating system is released by Microsoft. * 1992 - After 30 years, 66-year-old Johnny Carson hosts The Tonight Show for the last time. * 1995 - Bangladesh Shahityacharcha Kendro established. * 1997 - Kelly Flinn, US Air Force's first female bomber pilot certified for combat, accepts a general discharge in order to avoid a court martial. * 1998 - Lewinsky scandal: A federal judge rules that United States Secret Service agents can be compelled to testify before a grand jury concerning the scandal, involving President Bill Clinton. * 2002 - In Washington, the remains of the missing Chandra Levy are found in Rock Creek Park. * 2002 - American civil rights movement: A jury in Birmingham, convicts former Ku Klux Klan member Bobby Frank Cherry of the 1963 murders of four girls in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. * 2003 - In Fort Worth, Annika Sörenstam becomes the first woman to play the PGA Tour in 58 years. * 2004 - Felipe, of the Spanish Royal Family marries Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano. * 2004 - The U.S. town of Hallam, is wiped out by a powerful F4 tornado that broke a width record at an astounding 2.5 miles wide. It also killed one local resident. * 2006 - Results from the Montenegrin independence referendum are announced. 55.4% of voters voted to become independent from the Serbia and Montenegro Union. Births * 1622 - Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor of New France (d. 1698) * 1715 - François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis, French cardinal and statesman (d. 1794) * 1724 - Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, French explorer (d. 1772) * 1770 - Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (d. 1840) * 1772 - Ram Mohan Roy, Hindu reformer (d. 1833) * 1808 - Gérard de Nerval, French writer (d. 1855) * 1813 - Richard Wagner, German composer (d. 1883) * 1823 - Solomon Bundy, American politician (d. 1889) * 1823 - Isabella Glyn Dallas, British Shakepearean actress (d. 1889) * 1841 - Catulle Mendès, French poet (d. 1909) * 1844 - Mary Cassatt, American artist (d. 1926) * 1849 - Louis Perrier, Swiss politician (d. 1913) * 1859 - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, British physician and writer (d. 1930) * 1874 - Daniel François Malan, Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1959) * 1879 - Warwick Armstrong, Australian cricketer (d. 1947) * 1879 - Alla Nazimova, Ukrainian-born actress, scriptwriter, and producer (d. 1945) * 1885 - Giacomo Matteotti, Italian politician (d. 1924) * 1885 - Toyoda Soemu, Japanese admiral (d. 1957) * 1891 - Eddie Edwards, American jazz trombonist (d. 1963) * 1900 - Yvonne de Gaulle, wife of Charles de Gaulle (d. 1979) * 1902 - Al Simmons, American baseball player (d. 1956) * 1903 - Yves Rocard, French physicist (d. 1992) * 1904 - Paul Viiding, Estonian poet (d. 1962) * 1907 - Hergé, Belgian comic book creator (d. 1983) * 1907 - Sir Laurence Olivier, prolific English stage and screen actor and director (d. 1989) * 1908 - Rattana Pestonji, Thai filmmaker (d. 1970) * 1908 - Horton Smith. American golfer (d. 1963) * 1910 - Johnny Olson, American game show announcer (d. 1985) * 1911 - Anatol Rapoport, Russian-born mathematical psychologist, and pianist (d. 2007) * 1912 - Herbert C. Brown, English-born chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004) * 1914 - Vance Packard, American author (d. 1996) * 1914 - Sun Ra, American musician (d. 1993) * 1917 - Georg Tintner, Austrian-born conductor (d. 1999) * 1917 - Nathan Davis, American actor * 1920 - Thomas Gold, Austrian astrophysicist (d. 2004) * 1922 - Quinn Martin, American television producer (d. 1987) * 1924 - Charles Aznavour, French singer, actor, and composer * 1925 - James King, American tenor (d. 2005) * 1925 - Jean Tinguely, Swiss artist (d. 1991) * 1927 - George Andrew Olah, Hungarian-born chemist, Nobel laureate * 1927 - Phil Tucker, American director * 1930 - John Barth, American writer * 1930 - Harvey Milk, American politician and civil rights activist (d. 1978) * 1930 - Kenny Ball, British musician * 1934 - Peter Nero, American musician * 1936 - M. Scott Peck, American psychiatrist and writer (d. 2005) * 1938 - Richard Benjamin, American actor * 1938 - Susan Strasberg, American actress (d. 1999) * 1940 - Bernard Shaw, American television journalist * 1940 - Michael Sarrazin, Canadian actor * 1941 - Paul Winfield, American actor (d. 2004) * 1941 - Sir Menzies Campbell, UK Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats * 1941 - Martha Langbein, German athlete * 1942 - Theodore Kaczynski, American terrorist (The Unabomber) * 1942 - Calvin Simon, American musician (P Funk) * 1942 - Barbara Parkins, Canadian actress * 1943 - Tommy John, American baseball player * 1943 - Betty Williams, Northern Irish political activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize * 1943 - Gesine Schwan, German politician and science profesor * 1946 - Howard Kendall, English footballer and football manager * 1946 - George Best, Northern Irish footballer (d. 2005) * 1950 - Bernie Taupin, English songwriter * 1952 - Bernhard Brinkmann, German politician * 1953 - Doris Barnett, German politician * 1953 - Cha Bum-Kun, Korean footballer * 1955 - Jimmy Lyon, American guitarist (Eddie Money) * 1955 - Dale Winton, UK radio DJ and television presenter * 1955 - Jerry Dammers, English musician (The Specials) * 1956 - Al Corley, American actor and producer * 1957 - Lisa Murkowski, American politician * 1957 - Gary Sweet, Australian actor * 1958 - Eric Carlson, American guitarist (The Mentors) * 1959 - Steven Morrissey, English singer * 1960 - Hideaki Anno, Japanese director * 1962 - Brian Pillman, American professional wrestler (d. 1997) * 1964 - Ashley Renee, American fetish model * 1966 - Kenny Hickey, American guitarist (Type O Negative) * 1966 - Jose Mesa, Dominican baseball player * 1968 - Kevin Carolan, American actor and comedian * 1970 - Naomi Campbell, English model and actress * 1970 - Pedro Diniz, Brazilian Formula One driver * 1971 - Manuel Ortiz, Mexican professional wrestler * 1972 - Annabel Chong, Singapore actress * 1973 - Danny Tiatto, Australian soccer player * 1973 - Julián Tavárez, Dominican baseball player * 1973 - Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Danish actor * 1974 - Sean Gunn, American actor * 1974 - A. J. Langer, American actress * 1975 - Janne Niinimaa, Finnish ice hockey player * 1975 - Tracy Brookshaw, American professional wrestler and valet * 1975 - Salvador Ballesta, Spanish Footballer. * 1977 - Alastair Ralphs, Canadian professional wrestler * 1977 - Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Irish hurler * 1978 - Ginnifer Goodwin, American actress * 1978 - Katie Price, British model * 1979 - Maggie Q, American actress * 1979 - Lyn Z, American bassist (Mindless Self Indulgence) * 1980 - Rhett Fisher, actor/musician (lead singer for Manic Mind) * 1980 - Steven Baker, Australian rules footballer * 1981 - Bryan Danielson, American professional wrestler * 1981 - Jürgen Melzer, Austrian tennis player * 1982 - Apolo Anton Ohno, American short track speed skater * 1982 - John Bobek, American actor * 1983 - John Hopkins, Anglo-American motorcycling racer * 1985 - Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Canadian ice hockey player * 1985 - Tranquillo Barnetta, Swiss footballer * 1987 - Novak Đoković, Serbian tennis player * 1992 - Chinami Tokunaga, Japanese singer Deaths * 337 - Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor (b. 272) * 1068 - Emperor Go-Reizei of Japan (b. 1025) * 1455 - Henry Percy, English politician (killed in battle) * 1455 - Edmund Beaufort, English commander (killed in battle) (b. 1406) * 1457 - Saint Rita of Cascia, Italian saint (b. 1381) * 1538 - John Forrest, English Franciscan friar (martyred) (b. 1471) * 1540 - Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian (b. 1483) * 1666 - Gaspar Schott, German scientist (b. 1608) * 1667 - Pope Alexander VII (b. 1599) * 1745 - François-Marie, French military leader (b. 1671) * 1746 - Thomas Southerne, Irish dramatist (b. 1660) * 1760 - Israel ben Eliezer, Polish-born mystical rabbi (b. 1700) * 1772 - Durastante Natalucci, Italian historian (b. 1687) * 1795 - Ewald Friedrich, Prussian statesman (b. 1725) * 1859 - King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (b. 1810) * 1868 - Julius Plücker, German mathematician and physicist (b. 1801) * 1885 - Victor Hugo, French author (b. 1802) * 1910 - Jules Renard, French author (b. 1864) * 1932 - Lady Gregory, Irish playwright (b. 1852) * 1939 - Ernst Toller, German author (b. 1893) * 1939 - Jiri Mahen, Czech author (b. 1882) * 1965 - Christopher Stone, first disc jockey in the United Kingdom (b. 1882) * 1966 - Tom Goddard, English cricketer (b. 1900) * 1967 - Langston Hughes, American writer (b. 1902) * 1972 - Cecil Day-Lewis, Irish poet and writer (b. 1904) * 1972 - Margaret Rutherford, English actress (b. 1892) * 1983 - Albert Claude, Belgian biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1899) * 1988 - Giorgio Almirante, Italian politician (b. 1914) * 1990 - Rocky Graziano, American boxer (b. 1922) * 1992 - Zellig Harris, American linguist (b. 1909) * 1997 - Alfred Hershey, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1908) * 1998 - José Enrique Moyal, mathematical physicist (b. 1910) * 2003 - Ousmane Zongo, Burkinabé shooting victim * 2004 - Richard Biggs, American actor (b. 1960) * 2004 - Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast (b. 1945) * 2005 - Charilaos Florakis, Greek politician, long-time General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (b. 1914) * 2005 - Julia Randall, American poet (b. 1924) * 2005 - Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (b. 1914) * 2006 - Lee Jong-wook, Korean Director-General of the World Health Organisation (b. 1945) * 2006 - Heather Crowe, Canadian activist (b. 1945) Holidays and observances * World Biodiversity Day. * Republic of Yemen - National Day. * National Heroes Day in Sri Lanka. * National Maritime Day in the United States.(http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode36/usc_sec_36_00000128----000-.html) Liturgical Feast days * Saint Atto * Saint Castus and Emilius * Saint Fulk * Saint Lupus * Saint Romanus of Subiaco * Saint Humilita * Saint Julia of Corsica * Saint Quiteria * Saint Renata of Bavaria * Saint Rita of Cascia External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- Category:May